“I am full of grief for the Martel family,” Jerry Remy said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to them. My wife and I are sick about this senseless tragedy. It’s clear this isn’t the time for me to return to broadcasting Red Sox games. It’s my hope that I can do so in the spring. I thank NESN and the Red Sox for their support through this nightmare.”

One imagines Remy will have a place in the Red Sox booth for as long as he wants it, and at 60, he’s far from too old to do the job. However, he’s put in full seasons in just two of the last five years. He sat out most of 2009 after complications arising from cancer surgery, and in 2012, he dealt with depression and took a leave of absence. It’s possible he could call it a career this winter or at least scale back his workload significantly.

With Remy out in recent weeks, NESN and the Red Sox been using Dennis Eckersley for color commentary, though that’s been getting them a whole lot more color than commentary. They’ll surely need to do better if Remy steps away, and it wouldn’t hurt to audition a few candidates now. Gabe Kapler maybe?